Today's hot stock market is both inviting and intimidating to new investors. Here's how to start an investment portfolio of your own.

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     Get educated: Read about stocks and the market, take a seminar or class on investing and review online financial sites.

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     Develop financial goals and an investing and stock-picking strategy.

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     Research individual stocks by reading annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Look them up online at www.freedgar.com

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     Invest in what you know. Consider the stocks of local companies with which you are familiar and in which you have confidence.

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You just need fifty or a hundred dollars, but you need it yesterday. Is it possible to get some quick cash without visiting a cash advance loan place and then having to worry about paying back the money along with a hefty interest payment?

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     First, take stock of your possessions. That old lawnmower you have been keeping just in case the new one dies, your collection of vintage postcards...

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     Next, consider listing some of those non-essential items on Craigslist. You may just sell them in the same day for enough cash to cover your immediate needs.

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     If your items don't sell or if you simply can't bring yourself to get rid of them, you'll want to move on to another section of Craigslist. Go to the gigs section for your area to check out ways to make money fast. I checked the labor gigs in my area and saw two requests for painters, one for some guys and a truck to help someone move and one for someone to hold a sign in front of a store for a few hours. Someone else needed a window pane replaced for $30.

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Are you thinking about standing on the street corner begging for money to pay your bills. While you would not be the only one out there with your hands out, there are other ways to help you pay off your debt.

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     Help yourself first. No one wants to help others pay off their debt if they are not willing to help themselves, odds are they have their own debt to pay down. Cut all expenses that are unnecessary, until you get your bills under control. Avoid eating out or using excess gas.

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     Help others. Because everyone has their own debt to work off, people are more likely give you money to pay off bills if you do something for them. For instance you could mow their lawn, watch their kids or do odd chores around the house.

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Men and women who have served the country have the benefit of options when it comes to mortgage adjustments and payments. If you own a home and are being transferred or called to service due to military enlistments, follow these steps to get either a military refinance or admission into the mortgage relief act.

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     Contact the agency with whom your military mortgage is through. Tell them that you are working with an agent for a military refinance.

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     Provide the loan specialist with the identifying information for your mortgage.

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     Prove that you are eligible for the military mortgage refinance by providing them with documents that show that you are being moved or transfered. Documents that show that you are being called to active duty will also suffice for the military mortgage relief act.

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Military loans are loan programs that are only offered to active duty members of the military (some loan programs also extend privileges to retired military). No other special conditions apply other than qualification based on debt to income ratio. These loans can be secured for the purchase of an automobile, for a down payment on a home, to finance a vacation, for emergency expenses, or for virtually anything else. Interest rates range between 9% and 30% depending on credit score, type of loan, and debt to income ratio.

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     Build your credit as much as possible. While many military loans can be obtained with poor credit, the credit score will still affect the final interest rate, so it is advantageous to take measures to improve credit as much as possible. Sometimes even 20-30 points will make a significant difference.

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